Prices shown in currencies other than US Dollars are estimates based on current exchange rates. We will charge your credit card in US Dollars on the day your order is shipped, and the conversion to your local currency will be done at the prevailing rate by your credit card issuer.

C. Crane will not mark your parcel as a “gift”, declare a value lower than the actual price paid, or otherwise prepare false customs information.

You may have noticed this new acronym popping up on some of our products. RoHS stands for Restrictions on Hazardous Substances, and it's a directive that could have a huge impact on the production and disposal of consumer electronics. First adopted in Europe in 2006 (and later adopted in California in 2007), RoHS restricts the use of six dangerous substances in lots of common electronics. According to the official RoHS compliance Web site (www.rohs.eu), the RoHS symbol indicates that "new electrical and electronic equipment put on the market does not contain any of the six banned substances: lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, poly-brominated biphenyls (PBB) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), in quantities exceeding maximum concentration values."

While some military and medical equipment is exempt from RoHS compliance, the electronics governed by the standard are among the most common you'll find in your home, from radios to MP3 players to cell phones and (increasingly) computers. In practical terms, the standard protects factory workers at the production level, sharply reducing their exposure to hazardous substances. The standard also has a profound impact on the disposal and recycling of electronics, in that disposed substances will no longer have at least six of the most hazardous chemicals formerly found in electronics, and recycled electronics will not expose workers to toxics as they harvest components.

If an item proves to be unsatisfactory within 60 days of receipt, you may return it to us for refund or credit toward other products. We are sorry but original shipping charges are non-refundable. Please call for a Return Authorization number before returning an item. Returned products, original cartons and manuals must be in "as new" condition for a full product refund. A reasonable deduction will be made for any damaged or missing items. You are welcome to keep the catalog. Sorry, no refunds on custom cable and fittings or original shipping charges. Be sure to insure and pack your return carefully.

Lifetime Tech Support

We have made a commitment to build a positive relationship with you; before, during and after your purchase.

We feel we have some of the best tech support available. If you have any questions with product setup or with troubleshooting, please call us at 1-800-522-8863. Our Fortuna-based, tech support team is available Monday through Friday, 7am to 5pm PST. We are ready and willing to help you for as long as you own this item.

AM/FM Weather Wind-Up CC Solar Observer

The Observer is a simple, affordable and compact radio with enhanced reception and audio performance. For emergency use it can be powered in four different ways and can charge many different USB type devices such as cell phones.

In 1992 three earthquakes hit Humboldt County where we live. All three hit within a 17 hour period with magnitudes of 7.1, 6.6 and 6.7. Communication and services including electricity were hopelessly overloaded. In the Crane home shards of broken glass were everywhere and so were bare feet. All of our flashlights had been over used by our blessed children. We vowed to make a good emergency radio so this would never happen again.

This customer could not have said it better: "I have had only one, thank you Lord, occasion to use this in an emergency situation and it worked flawlessly. (I was the) Only one in the area with radio for two days of power loss... Thank you CCrane!!" vpipes - Dupur, Or.

This is a no nonsense, straight forward emergency radio,
Well thought out, From Pulling in AM FM To controle over battery life.
CCrane people are VERY FRIENDLY . and take good care of their buyers.
Keep up the good work CCrane.

By BBarney

Stockbridge, MA

3/18/2014

Awesome sound, awesome reception

This is one of the best radios for the money. Its suppose to for emergencies but I use it all the time. BTW, this is a great company to do biz with.

By MDavis

JANE LEW, WV

2/18/2013

I purchased this product, and immediately I noticed it was smaller and flimsier than I anticipated. When the antenna is extended, it can easily over-balance the radio, and make it fall over. Also, the antenna bent the second time I pushed it down to lower position. Believe me, I am not muscular, and very am very careful with how I handle and store anything I own - so I was shocked. Then, I found out that the only way to use the solar charger is to set it outside in full sunlight! The representative was very condescending, and acted as if anyone should know that just placing it in a sunny window wouldn't be enough. Really? That is how I recharge my solar calculator. I don't usually place an electronic device outside, exposed to the weather! I bought it for an emergency (as well as normal use), and emergencies tend to happen when the weather is definitedly too foul to set it outside. In addition, the reception is worse than my cheap household radio, and any electronics nearby - even cords - will greatly disrupt the reception.It does adequately pick up the weather alert channel, better than my old Walmart Emergency radio (that lasted 12 years without the antenna ever bending.)The LED flashlight is adequate-to-good. The backlight on the radio dial is also good. The radio dial itself makes it hard to determine what channel it is on, and fine tuning between stations that are close together is very difficult.The other main issue I have with it is recharging. I was instructed that I should be careful not to overcharge the battery, but there is nothing to indicate when the battery is fully charged! Unless you remove the regular batteries, and let it run clear down, you have no way of knowing when you might be overcharging it and damaging the battery. As I want it fully charged in case of emergency, I'm left to guess when it might be charged up (by AC, or otherwise.) I don't want to ruin the battery, so this is a constant concern, when I've used it, and want to raise it back to full. This also means I have to leave the batteries out, as it might be drawing from them without my knowing it. There's nothing to tell you! As I waited a long time to purchase this, planned to use it regularly, and thought it would be both powerful and convenient - this has been a big disappointment. I returned the pocket radio because of poor performance, and think I should have probably done so with this one. And, as far as reception - did I mention I live on top of a hill with no nextdoor neighbors to interfere with reception?The AC Adapter that I purchased with it will also heat up when plugged into an outlet/extension cord - even if you have diconnected it from the radio. So, you must unhook it both from the radio, and the plug-in when not in use.Just thought others should know so they can make an informed decision when purchasing.

By thutson

CARTHAGE, IN

7/11/2012

Very solid quality product. Reception is outstanding. I will never need to put AA batteries in it, the solar panel works that well. CCRANE ROCKS! Tom, Indiana

By JLord

FREMONT, CA

4/4/2012

Bought the product for city CERT (community emergency response team) situations. Also bought for backcountry base camp group hike functions with separate groups. Happy with the product.

DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT

How long will the CC Solar Observer play for with a full charge?

On a full charge, the CC Solar Observer should play for over 15 hours.

How long will the CC Solar Observer run on a set of 3 AA batteries?

The CC Solar Observer should play for approximately 60 hours at normal volume.

How long must the CC Solar Observer be cranked for to fully charge it?

To achieve a full charge, the CC Solar Observer must be cranked at a moderate speed (about two revolutions per second) for about 80 minutes.

At what rate must the CC Solar Observer be cranked to achieve optimum charging?

Two revolutions per second will produce good results.

Can the CC Solar Observer be operated using the optional AC power adapter?

Yes, but you if you plan on using the optional charging adapter for days to power the radio, we recommend unplugging the battery pack. Constantly charging the battery pack for more then 12 hours at a time will shorten its life.

When I wind-up my CC Solar Observer, the crank arm seems to rotate freely, and it does not charge the radio. Why is this?

The rechargeable battery pack may not be plugged in completely. To check this, make sure the battery packs white connector is completely secured.

Why is the sound garbled on my CC Solar Observer? How can I fix it?

The rechargeable battery pack may be depleted. Charging the unit for a few minutes should clear up the sound.

Can the CC Solar Observer charge my iPhone?

The CC Solar Observer can charge an iPhone but the iPhone takes much more energy to run than older cell phones. After the iPhone battery is depleted, it requires a 5% charge before the phone is usable again. Using the CC Solar Observer, it takes about 35 minutes of crank time to charge up the iPhone to 5%. This gives you about 15 minutes if talk time before the battery is depleted again.

My CC Solar Observer was working but now I have no AM/FM/WX but the LED functions work. How come?

If your radio is left on for an extended amount of time after the battery pack is fully depleted, and your radio will not turn on, then it will be necessary to unplug the battery pack (and remove AA batteries if installed) for 60 seconds to allow a reset of the microprocessor.

How do I get the best runtime on the CC Solar Observer?

The simple answer is exercising the batteries to condition for an optimal charge. To do this, charge the batteries to full and discharge them completely. Doing this procedure about three times or so will bring your batteries to optimal efficiency.

This WiFi Antenna is hands down the best. It allows me to connect to a business almost a half mile away. Two months time and this baby paid for itself. I am a very happy with my purchase.

— John A., Mill Valley, CA

This radio deserves five stars because it sounds great, the ease of use and preset stations. This radio will become your favorite radio, also backed by great customer service if ever needed, thank you very much.

— Pete P., Santa Rosa, CA

This is an excellent internet radio. I have had the unit playing constantly from the time I received it. Excellent sound for such a small unit and the remote works wonderfully.

— James H., Richmond, BC

Good sound, lightweight and comfortable; not too tight on the head. I like one feature; it doesn't tell you where to place the speakers, left side or right side.

— Harry W., Manassas, VA

I purchase this product specifically for AM recordings and it has worked superbly. I wanted to wait awhile before I gave my opinion on the product. It has worded exactly as advertised and more.

— Jack L., San Pedro, CA

Very nice, economical home lighting. If you're used to the white light of fluorescent bulb replacements, these will offer the same type with no toxic ingredients or damaging UV radiation.

— Gary B., San Francisco, CA

This antenna does work well; however placement and the shape you have it bent into is very important. I live about 70 miles away from Toronto and receive a lot of Toronto FM stations static free with the FM reflect.

— Thomas S., Buffalo, NY

I'm not sure how I gone this far in life without it. I just love it. The best sound ever from an AM radio.

— James G., Springfield, MA

This device is awesome. As a contractor, I can not access my customer's network for security reasons. Now, with my office on the second floor, I can connect to a WiFi hotspot 1.5 miles away and my signal strength is strong!

— Robert S., Tabernacle, NJ

I just received my EP radio yesterday. I'm totally impressed with the old school simplicity and the modern day sound quality. Thank you, C.Crane!

— David C., Raleigh, NC

I have had only one, thank the lord, occasion to use this in and emergency situation and it worked flawlessly. Only one in the area with radio for two days of power loss... Thank you CCrane!!

— Vernon P., Dufur, OR

This radio is totally fantastic!!! It will provide service in any condition and works as engineered and advertised. I am going to order more units for all family members.

— Glen B., Bethlehem, PA

This radio is wonderful. Small but powerful. Several years of service and no problems.

— William B., Litchfield, IL

Just received this little jewel... did not open the manual and I was listening to NPR within minutes... no kidding. I'm a radio guy and the audio is great and look forward to a lot of great listening.